CHAP. XXI.

An Expofition upon the Twentieth Chapter of the Revelation, wherein the Perfonal Reign and Kingdom of Chrift with the Saints upon the Earth, is fully demonftrated.

§ 1. In this time Satan, and all the Devils are to be bound in the bottomless Pit. 2. The Reafon of this clofe Confinement is, that be might deceive the Nations no more, until the thousand Tears should be fulfilled. 2. Then fhall all those who have part in the firft Refurrection live and reign with Chrift a thousand Tears. 4. The firft Refurrection to be underfood in a proper Confideration. 5. The Saints are to rife a thousand Years before the reft of the Dead. 6. The various Thoughts of good Men concerning Gog and Magog. 7. Who we may fuppofe this Gog and Magog to be. 8. The Gog in Ezekiel, and that in the Revelation not one and the fame Army. 9. At the End of the thoufand Tears, the lag Fudgment among the wicked immediately takes place.

I

Shall here give a brief Expofition upon the twentieth Chapter of the Revelation, which

will be as a Key unto us, further to open that great Doctrine of the Reign and Kingdom of Chrift, with the Saints, in the Glory of the thou fand Years.

Rev. 11. 1. And I faw an Angel come down from Heaven, baving the Key of the Bottomless Pit, and a great Chain in bis Hand.

John had a Vifionary Sight of these things. An Angel came down from Heaven, &c. This Angel I humbly conceive to be the Lord Jefus Chrift, that great Angel of the everlafting Covenant. It appears to me, that Chrift in thefe Words is to be understood, because he only bath the Keys (or Powers) of Death and Hell in his own Hands. But if a created Angel is meant, then it must be fuch an one, who is authorized with a Power from the Lord Jefus, and fo does this by his Order and Command. Here be two Things that this Angel had in his coming down from Heaven. First, the Key of the Bottomlefs Pit. Secondly, A great Chain in his Hand. Now a Key we know is of Ufe, either to open, or to fhut and lock faft a Door, to keep thofe in clofe Confinement, who are to be kept in. Secondly, A Chain, fuch a Chain as this will be; is of ufe to tie hip, or bind faft a Criminal withal; the fame Ufe we find this Key is of; and therefore this Key which the Angèl had, is call'd, the Key of the bottomless Pit. By the bottoml Pit can be meant no other than Hell it felf; is fo called, to fhew, or fignify the Endlefnef

its Torments. This Key then we fee was to open the Mouth of the Pit, and alfo fhews us, that Hell hath a Door, (but it is a wide one) belonging to it; And that the Key of opening or fhutting thefe wide Doors is kept (as afore) in Chrift's Hands This fpeaks a Ufe of Comfort to the Saints; and. that is, that the Devil cannot thruft whom he would into Hell; he muft firft go to Chrift for the Keys, and receive a Power from him, to do what he doth: But this we are certainly affured of, that the Lord will never let any of those who believe in him to come there, because be bath by his precious Blood redeem'd them. Well, but for what End was it, that this Angel brought the Key of the bottomlefs Pit, and the great Chain in his Hand along with him from Heaven for? Why the end for which (as we may fee in the Words following) is, that he might tie up the Devil in clofe Confinement for the fpace of a thousand Years.

Verse 2. And be laid hold on the Dragon, that old Serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound bim a thousand Years.

Immediately upon the Angel's defcending from Heaven, he laid hold upon this great Adverfary of our Souls, called the Devil and Satan: And what does he lay hold upon him for? It is that he might caft him into the bottomlefs Pit, to chain him up faft therein, and that he might not get out to di ftrefs nor tempt the Saints any more. The Devil hath had a long time of it, in tempting of Souls, and feeking of their Deftruction; He hath had

a long time in going to and fro in the Earth, and walking up and down in it. Job i. 7. Ever fince his being caft out of Heaven for Sin, hath he played thefe Pranks in the World, by feeking the utter Ruin and Deftruction of Mankind. But now the time of hisConfinement being come, the Angel lays hold upon him with his Chain, and ties him faft in it, drags him to the Mouth of the Pit, and with his Key opens thofe wide Doors, and, as we usd to fay, throws him down headlong into it; though fore against his Will, and not without fome ftruggles, we may conceive; but being overmatch'd with Strength, he was not able to withstand the Power of the Angel: Therefore willing or not willing, in he muft go.

But fome may be ready to object, and fay, we read but of two, that is the Devil and Satan being caft in; what then will become of the reft of the Devils, there being fo many, as that a whole Legion of them was faid to be in one Man? It is true, there is many of them, and they feem to be innumerable, or at leaft we cannot number them; the Earth and Air (as fome think) being full of Devils: But what then, they are all comprised in thefe two, as I fhall endeavour to prove in the Explanation of their Names, which is here given to them.

Firft, We read of the Dragon; the Dragon is a Creature of a cruel, mercilefs Nature, full of bitter Poifon; fuch an one is the Devil: They are cruel and mercilefs, filled with the Poifon of a malicious, inveterate, and implacable Enmity and Hatred againft Man's Happiness; and what is faid of one, may be faid of them all.

Secondly,

Secondly, He is call'd not only the Dragon, but the old Serpent, and fo he is; older than Man; older than Adam and Eve; as may be easily proved, (Man being one of the laft of God's Creatures, (though the firft in his Thoughts) who was not created until the laft of theSixDaysCreation) called a Serpent in refpect of his cunning fubtil Craftinefs. This is the old Serpent that twisted himself into the Garden, and round about the Tree, where he deceived our firft Parents. What a long Expe rience hath this old Serpent had for near fix thoufand Years to know the Nature, Temper, Humour, and Difpofitions of all Men, that are, or ever have been; that fo he may fuit his Baits accordingly? O! how many ways, Shapes, and Colours does he twift and turn himself into, on purpofe to deceive and ruin poor Souls?

Again thirdly, He is faid to be the Devil, and he laid hold on the Dragon, that old Serpent, which is the Devil. That is an Adverfary, who is, and always was an Adverfary from the time of his Fall; the greatest Adverfary that ever Man had, next to Sin, (which is the Spawn of the Devil) who always ftands as an Adverfary in the way, to hinder (if poffible) a poor Soul from being faved. Wherefore we are exhorted to be fober and vigilant, bécaufe our Adverfary the Devil, as a roaring Lion, walketh about feeking whom he may devour. O, what Grace it is, that he cannot deftroy whom he will! For if it had been fo, not one of Adam's Pofterity could have been faved..

But fourthly, And Satan, here is the Devil and Satan laid hold upon. Satan fignifies a Deftroyer: How many Thousands and Millions of poor Souls

hath